Elastic link



v 7 1,642,602 P 1927' g. CONSTANTINESCO ELASTIC LINK Filed Dec. 16, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1,642,602 p 13,1927 G CO NSTANTINESCO ELASTIC LINK Filed Dec. 16, 192 5 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Sept. 13, 1927.}

is intended mainly .--for "use I as 5 a stabilizing sea a siammco; or mes e, .ENG ANDZ "Application filed December 16,1925, Serial No. 75,s2i;.ana 1n ereat IBritain 'OctQber 1,1925: 1

The invention =--.relates;-,toloopor. bow shapediplatesor strap springs, each sideotthe loop or bow being] .-for1ned-;ofcurved platesaseeured .togethen at-f theirends; 3. Such --springs -have been proposed for variouspurposes; as elastic links. adaptedtobe: stressed. bya acollinear forces 1 applied. :at the ends, for example,=in chains ancl.spring=balances.-. The object of .this invention is to: obtain in compactetosmz a device; c'a-p-ableof; storing alarge amount of elastic energy and ofaactin'g {1150x3- assa' resilient stop when the load exceeds a givenlIIl'IIttrWIth'OUt creating *excessive stressesa n the -material used. 1; The: invent on:

spring link for my; pow er=co1iverter,suchzas. is :d-esciiibedin HIySPGClfiCatlU-QWfi llltil Nos.

688 7895; 701 5395; and .7217714' and Patent-s Nos- 1,545,40l;:1:569;719:"a-n(l'1.582 .734, but it;

has numerous:other.applications such" asito elasticcoupling: rodsi enerally, to motorcar and vehicle springs, generally=,'to springb a]- ances; ascou-pling springs, to cranes-or other;v machines: for lifting Iweights, .and to" chains generally; 1 In ithe v-application to ,thesei and similar cases the link combines .theafunctions of a spring and a stop since. as the tension increases; the leaves tend to Y straight- I eng ithear-ate iof ldeformatio sively; to. zero i as; a limit? I According to; imy invention each .%side' of the l loop: orbow built cup =ofaa' numberof .pla't'esxor' laminae bentij into ;approximately.sine. curve for n. I .1 The plates areaassembled so; that wh en, on dGIYL'HOi-lditd, cable. of: themitouches ,the-vadja cent plates at or near the point 015 imle'xion; that isigtol say whorethe;min ature; ero, bue areiseparate d. elsewhere, this separation being effected by thickenangitheplates or by distanoeapieces. The-.plates or.= la'1ninae are securely fastened together at the places where the sides of the bow or loop meet, but

if they are bent into a number of waves it is not necessary for them to be fastened together at intermediate points where they meet or approach. I

In the annexed drawings, which show practical embodiments and applications of my invention, Figs. 1 and 1 show respectively inelevation and plan a single bow spring each side of which is composed of several leaves, Fig.2 shows on a greatly exaggerated scale a part of one side of the spring shown in FigureJl, Figs. 3, 4 and 5 show alternative means for connecting the intending progres w consisting of av plurality of leaves, Fig.

shows the application toimy power;conver-v ter, Fign8-shows the? application :to a ,vehfcle as a shock-absorber, Fig. 9 shows the iapw plicaton to: .a chain "flexible, .in-zone planew-i only, Figure 10 shows the application .to-=a chain uflez iible. universally, and Fig. l1? shows plication to a crane. v i

plates; Figsrl and '3 to ll inclusive are adia c It will be understood that aszfregardsithe rammaticonly in: that theyfdo not-'shosw a ;1-' separation between the; leaveszrand .in; 801118335:

:zcases -sshow onlyv one leatt. i: The constructions;-

shown in Fig. 2 applies to them; allaandain eyery case the sides of; \tliebows or. loops; con.- sist-of a plurality of: leaves;

F1gS. 1 and l showrespeot-ively. a .bow'iina'c o'levation'and plan each side consisting of {our -1 r leaves, ,twoof which :are referred; to:- by their numeral 4. The .leavesuform SlllQzCIlRViQS ande; their: ends are. secured together -b -p1at es..5 and-rivets 6. 7 ,are'.p1nspassingithnoughg .&

holesdn the leaves by' ivhichthe springlis se- -ured,.to-.:an adjacent object Figure; 2 shows onsanaexaggerated scale parts of two adjacent leaves of the arrange The :fig'ure; shows-1:

merit shown- :in- Figure- 1', and ;applies to: all 1 strained state the nedial lines: :10? of; their 2 r longitudinal sections liormvsine curves; The l? or straightengfreely without-i frictional on other interference: from. the adjacent ones The-ifeature to; be, noted-,istha't thertWoleavesg; 8 and; 9,. are sepa ate at t ir endsran by dza/lO it 6:47. It will therefore be sufficient in general to coat the ends of the leaves with paint, or still better with tin, or

to galvanize with a coating of metal 1/20 mm.

object is to, .ensure'thatwach leaf; may-bender thick in the above example, or to insert layers of paper or metal before riveting the ends.

According to another method each leaf :nay be made 01' thicker section at its ends. This may be el'leetcd by stretching the leaves when softened by heat, the ends being firmly held.

Figure 3 shows another mode of assembly in which two plates 12 are riveted outside the leaves, securing holes 13 being bored in the plates 12. A

I*igii1'i -isli \\'s a similar method. in which a single plate is used.

Figure 5 shows a method of assembly in which the leaves are secured together by eyelets or sleeves 14 which are riveted over as shown.

Figure 6 shows an elastic tension rod consisting of plates or leaves bent so as to form a number of bows; each side 15 and 16 may consist oi several luives as in the case of asingle bow. The leaves are fastened to gether at the ends only. here is no occa sion to fasten them together at the intermediate points 17.

Figure '7 shows the application to a rotary power converter such as is described in my prior specifications above referred to. 18 is a shaft to which unidirectional motion is communicated by *atchets or the like 19 which are linked to aconnnon pivot 20. The pivot 20 receives reciprocating motion from a power converter or other such source which it is unnecessary to illustrate. The details shown serve to convert this reciprocatory motion into unidirectional motion, the links 21 stabilizing'the motion oi? the pivot 20. The limits of their motion is shown by the dotted lines forming the parallelogram. the extreme positions of the other parts of the mechanism being similarly indicated. It may be necessary to stabilize or limit the mo- 'tion of this pivot which is reeiprocated in the direction of the arrows by means de scribed in the said prior specifications. In the form shown this stabilization or limitation is effected by a pair of bow or loop springs 21 such as are described above WlllGJ are connected to the pivot 20 and to fixed supports 22 about which they can turn. In a modification one how or loop only, such as 21, is used, the other being an ordinary link. In this case the pivot 20 will describe a circular are instead of a straight line. For reasons already stated the linkage acts as a stop.

Figure 8 shows the application to a spring balance. A bow or loop spring 28 such as that described above is secured to a member which carries a graduated scale 24 and also the pivot 25 oi a pointer 26. The pointer is actuated by rods 27 which connect the pointer to eyelets 28 on the sides of the spring.

F i gure 9 shows a succession of spring bows such as are described above made up into a chain which can be bent in one plane. The.

plates of each how are directly connected to those of the next as shown at 34, andthe extreme ends may be provided with shackles or the like 35.

Figure 10 shows a chain in which the planes of the bows are alternately at right angles to one another, each bow being connected to the next by a coupling 36 which permits universal flexibility.

Figure 11 shows by way of example the application to crane mechanism for the purpose of avoiding shocks. is connected to the article to be lifted by a spring bow 38 of the character above described. lhe invention is also applicable to connecting and coupling rods, the body of the rod being formed wholly or in part of one or more spring bows constructed as above described.

hat I claim is z- An elastic link consisting of metal plates bent into sine curve form and firmly secured together at their ends, so as to form a. symmetrical loop, each side of said loop consisting of a plurality of plates, and said. plates being provided at their ends with separating means, such that each plate touches its neiglr her at or near its point of inflexion when the link is unstrained.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name this Qelth day of November. 1925.

GEORGE CONSTANTINESCO.

The crane hook 37 

